Thursday, 1 February 2018

The Mayor’s Card

Robin Wrigley

full-bodied red wine

The
morning that Stephie George’s half-naked body was discovered in Swindon’s
railway goods’ yard by a railway policeman’s German shepherd caused a tsunami of
shock, sorrow and deep concern all around the town as the news fed through the
gossip channels.

She was found lying spread-eagled on her
back in between two tracks of goods wagons, one leg bent underneath the other,
wearing muddied, torn white jeans and a single fluorescent pink trainer. Her
upper body was completely naked except for one arm, half covered with the torn
sleeve of a pink cotton blouse. The vermillion nail varnish on her one bare set
of toes shone in contrast to the leg of the white jeans. The area around her
neck was red and heavily marked and her face was twisted sideways, awkwardly,
eyes wide open. A cursory look showed she had been brutally strangled but had
put up a valiant fight with her killer.

She was known locally as Diana’s double or
DD after the town’s other star Diana Dors and also for her much admired
bosom.

The railway policeman recognised her as
the singer who often performed at the ‘Hornets’ Nest’ night club. He remembered
vividly her husky voice and particularly her rendition of ‘Blue Velvet’. He
would later tell his mates that he had seen the tits she was always flaunting
and they didn’t disappoint.

The next surprise was experienced by
Detective-Sergeant Tony Harris first on the murder scene. He recognised her
straightaway as the woman who had served him in the Tesco Express the previous
day. He had never attended a crime scene where the victim was known to him
previously. The disturbing effect of this coincidence remained with him
throughout the investigation and right through the ensuing trial.

But the biggest surprise of all came on
the slab in the mortuary when it was found that Miss Stephie George was an
unknown male in his early thirties. The number of Swindon men who had admired
Stephie’s cleavage over the years ran into considerable numbers. The shame and
self-loathing would spread through the town like a plague and for some,
considerably more than embarrassment.

The
level of shock and horror continued its upward spiral reached its peak in the
town mayor’s office when informed that the police pathologist had discovered the
mayor’s crumpled, damp business card, clutched in the victim’s right
hand.

Mayor
George Stevens, recently appointed after unfounded revelations regarding
business associations with the region’s organised crime syndicates failed to
block his appointment, was about to face his biggest challenge yet.